Civil Guard Pulls Off Daring Helicopter Clifftop Rescue
This is the incredible moment a climber is rescued after he got stuck on a cliff hundreds of feet high after a falling rock injured his ankle and he was unable to move.
Video footage of the rescue shows the climber, a 29-year-old man of French origin who was not named, clinging to the rockface on Mount Irene in the Mallos de Riglos, in Aragon, Northern Spain, on Saturday, 19th October.
He had been struck hard by a rock on his ankle when he reached around 300 feet high, preventing him from continuing his climb.
He remained stuck halfway on the rock formation, known as the Mallo Frechin, but managed to call for help at around 12:00 pm.
Rescuers from the Greim and the Huesca Air Unit responded and filmed the challenging rescue.
The video shows how the pilot executes an impressive approach manoeuvre to reach the climber, with the helicopter blades coming dangerously close to touching the walls of the cliff.
Fortunately, the pilot’s skill allowed the rescue operation to be completed successfully, and the climber was rescued without suffering serious injuries.
He was airlifted and taken to a hospital in Huesca where he was treated.